All the Buddhas testified their approval to the Tathagata who had attained the Wisdom and sent the dharmachada's, who shaded this whole complex of three thousand great thousands of worlds with many umbrellas made of precious stones.

Then when the Kamavacara-apsaras became aware that the Tathagata, who was seated at Bodhiman. da, had attained the Wisdom, they turned to Bodhimanda and praised the Tathagata with these verses: "At the foot of the king of trees, after vanquishing the army of Mara, he sits, unshaken as the Meru, knowing no fear and in silence etc.". (351: 15; 352: 4; 353: 9, 17).

The text does not say positively that the apsaras went to Bodhimanda, but that they turned in that direction, the sculptor however has brought them there and they are-kneeling on both sides of the scene, the front one on the right with incense-burner and fan, others with flowers and dishes in their hands. Between two vases with a spout and lotuses, sits the Buddha still in the same bhumisparpa-attitude, on his lotus cushion; the throne is again altered, has no back but small pillars on which the mal~ara-heads rest that form the beginning of a sort of garland-like niche over the Buddha's head; the tree projecting over the niche has very little resemblance to the ficus religiosa. The objects floating in the air are very peculiar. First, on each side, five umbrellas; the gifts of the other Buddha's whose number has been reduced to ten in accordance with the ten directions of the wind. Below these on both sides, four large lotus flowers or lotus cushions, according to Pleyte (p. 140) an indication of the other Buddha's; but that seems to suggest more than the spectator can be expected to understand. Better leave the meaning in abeyance as also that of the flower-figures that appear on each side of the tree, consisting of one flower in the centre and four others crosswise round it. It may possibly have some symbolical meaning, but then one unknown to us, as the text says nothing about it. The whole does not look as if it had accidentally got into this shape (no less than the vi~vavajra) without signifying anything more than ornement; so I cannot consider it merely a fancy of the Barabud. ur artist, but think that in the text he used, the umbrella-incident was put more in the foreground than in ours and that the more elaborate edition made mention of other such apparitions.